By: Pramod Thomas
LIVE PERFORMANCE
JUBIN NAUTIYAL
When: Friday December 10 and Saturday December 11
Where: SSE Arena, Arena Square, Engineers Way, London HA9 0AA & Morningside Arena, 31 Charter Street, Leicester LE1 3UD
What: The popular Indian singer behind songs like Lut Gaye, which has been viewed over a billion times on YouTube, delivers a hit-filled concert with a full live band.
BOTOWN – THE SOUL OF BOLLYWOOD
When: Saturday December 11
Where: The Slade Rooms, Broad Street, Wolverhampton WV1 1HP
What: A concert featuring the acclaimed multicultural soul band that reboots Bollywood classics with a shot of late 1960s soul and funk, taking you on a musical trip from Memphis to Mumbai.
www.fatsoma.com
INDIAN MUSIC AND FLAMENCO
When: Friday December 17
Where: Lauderdale House, Waterlow Park, Highgate Hill, London N6 5HG
What: Special concert with renowned multi-instrumentalist Baluji Shrivastav
OBE on sitar and virtuoso flamenco guitarist Ignacio Monteverde. You will hear the two traditions on their own and then they will be intertwined by the two great musical masters.
www.lauderdalehouse.org.uk
EVENTS
MY HOUSE MY BARI ‘71
When: Until Tuesday December 14
Where: Kobi Nazrul Centre, 30 Hanbury Street, London E1 6QR
What: A free exhibition celebrating the 50th year of Bangladesh’s independence. Artist Rahemur Rahman and young people from ‘A’ Team Arts, and Tower Hamlets schools, recreate a living space depicting the homes of the British Bangladeshi community in 1971.
www.towerhamlets.gov.uk
BADNAAM
When: Saturday December 4
Where: Sway Bar, 61-65 Great Queen Street, London WC2B 5BZ
What: First Saturday of the month residency that sees DJ Shai Guy playing Bollywood and urban desi, alongside rotating special guests, such as BBC Asian Network radio presenters DJ Nish and Manara.
www.eventbrite.com
DIL WALE BOLLYWOOD NIGHT
When: Saturday December 4
Where: Russell Court Hotel, 19 Bath Road, Bournemouth BH1 2EP
What: Dinner and dance event featuring a three-course meal, along with DJ Simz playing the biggest Bollywood and bhangra hits. There is an option to buy a party-only ticket.
www.fatsoma.com
MUSLIM MARRIAGE EVENT
When: Sunday December 5
Where: Tipu Sultan Restaurant, 18 The Parade, Leicester LE2 5BF
What: Formal event aiming to provide a platform for people seeking partners
in marriage. Advisors will be available to support and assist individuals who feel shy or are unable to initiate discussions with others.
www.eventbrite.com
SINGLE MUSLIM PROFESSIONALS SPEED DATING
When: Monday December 6
Where: Pizza Express, 99 High Holborn, London WC1V 6LF
What: Speed dating event for Muslim professionals aged 23-35 years old. Women will be seated, and men will rotate between tables every six minutes. At the end of each date, guests mark on their scorecard whether they would like to see that person again.
www.eventbrite.com
YOGA BRUNCH
When: Tuesday December 7
Where: Room 43, 43 Lavender Hill, London SW11 5QW
What: An hour yoga class (all levels welcome) with local teacher Rachel Caffarate, followed by a tasty vegetarian Persian lunch and tea.
events.nappyvalleynet.com
THEATRE
LIFE OF PI
When: Until Sunday February 27, 2022
Where: Wyndham’s Theatre, 32-36 Charing Cross Road, London WC2H 0DA
What: A theatre play based on Yann Martel’s Man Booker Prize-winning novel of the same name, which revolves around the sole human survivor of a shipwreck struck on a lifeboat with a Bengal tiger, as they battle to survive an epic voyage across the ocean. The cast includes Hiran Abeysekera, Mina Anwar, Nicholas Khan, Payal Mistry and Raj Ghatak.
www.londontheatre.co.uk
DAWAAT
When: Tuesday December 14 – Thursday December 16
Where: Tara Theatre, 356 Garratt Lane, Earlsfield, London SW18 4ES
What: An intergenerational theatre piece that brings together food, poetry,
live music, spoken word and contemporary south Asian dance, with female voices firmly at the heart of this production.
www.taratheatre.com
QUEEN OF HEARTS
When: Friday December 17 – Saturday December 18
Where: Midlands Arts Centre, Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham B12 9QH
What: Story of a fading Bollywood actress, struggling to reconcile how she sees herself versus how the world perceives her, and the dialogue she has with her younger self. The production features musical interludes and a screening of two shorts from the Birmingham Indian Film Festival.
www.macbirmingham.co.uk
COMEDY
PAUL CHOWDHRY: FAMILY-FRIENDLY COMEDIAN
When: Friday December 3 and Thursday December 9
Where: De Montfort Hall, Granville Road, Leicester LE1 7RU & Eventim
Apollo, 45 Queen Caroline Street, London, England W6 9QH
What: The popular comedian returns with a brand-new stand-up show about UK’s handling of the pandemic, why the rules of six only worked for white people, fame, England football fans and Tom Cruise landing his helicopter in someone’s garden.
www.paulchowdhry.com
DESI CENTRAL COMEDY SHOW
When: Sunday December 5
Where: The Leadmill, 6 Leadmill Road, Sheffield S1 4SE & The Wardrobe, 6 St Peter’s Square, Leeds LS9 8AH
What: The entertaining stand-up tour continues with two separate shows in
Sheffield and Leeds on the same day. Some top comedy talents will deliver plenty of laughs. Check website for full line-up.
www.luventertainment.co.uk
TEZ ILYAS: THE VICKED TOUR
When: Sunday December 5
Where: The Stoller Hall, Hunts Bank, Manchester M3 1DA
What: A brand-new stand-up show with comedian, TV personality and author, as he uses his trademark silly, smart, and subversive humour to celebrate all that we still have.
www.tezilyas.com
SUKH OJLA: LIFE SUKHS
When: Sunday December 12
Where: The Glee Club, The Arcadian, 70 Hurst Street, Birmingham B5 4TD
What: Acclaimed stand-up comedian Sukh Ojla continues her solo tour of the UK with her show, where she talks about subjects, including mental illness, moving back in with her parents, identity and living a double life.
www.luventertainment.co.uk
CLASSES
SHAKTI DIVAS BHANGRA FUSION 2021
When: Until Tuesday December 14
Where: Heston Community School, Heston Road, Heston, Hounslow TW5 0QR
What: A weekly bhangra-Bollywood dance class led by renowned choreographer Rakhi Sood, which is designed to keep you fit in a fun and friendly environment.
www.watermans.org.uk
BOLLYX – THE BOLLYWOOD WORKOUT
When: Saturdays December 4, 11, 18
Where: Frederick Bremer School, Siddeley Road, London E17 4EY
What: A ladies-only Bollywood fitness inspired workout, where you will be
dancing away to some of the latest Bollywood and bhangra tracks.
www.eventbrite.com
FULL DAY SIMPLE INDIAN COOKERY COURSE
When: Saturday January 8, 2022
Where: Hounslow, London
What: A trip to the local Indian shop to learn about ingredients will be followed by a practical hands-on cooking course learning how to make a variety of Indian dishes, along with learning how to use spices to add a depth of flavour.
www.cookingwithmonisha.com
